An American tourist, who was on his trip to Andaman and Nicobar Island, was found dead last week on Saturday. The victim is known as 27 years old John Allen Chau, who was killed by some unknown persons in North Sentinel Island in Andaman.
According to the police official statement on Wednesday, it is believed that Allen Chau was killed by the hunter-gathers community who lived on the isolated Island of Andaman and Nicobar.
The official also added that the victim was identified as John Allen Chau, an American who was illegally shipped by the fishermen to the Sentinelese in the North Sentinel Island, restricted for the visitors by the government.
According to a local newspaper ‘Andaman Sheekha’ in Andaman Island, claimed the Sentinelese community to be behind this happening.
“A murder case has been registered,” one of the officials told Reuters. Almost seven people who are suspected of the murder have been arrested so far.
Sentinelese tribe is a community in North Sentinel Island of Andaman which is in danger of extinction who are isolated from outside world and resist to contact with others. According to Census of India, 2011 the population of Sentinelese tribe was just 40.
A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Chennai told Reuters, “We are aware of reports concerning a US citizen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”.
She further added “When a US citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts.” Though, she refused to provide any further details due to privacy concerns.
The investigation is still going on but the officials are not openly speaking on this incident due to the privacy concern.
A police officer told Reuters that Allen Chau, already made visits to the Islands five times earlier, and due to his previous visits he strongly want to meet the Sentinelese community in person.
He then hired a small boat and few fishermen to carry him to the Sentinelese tribe community Island. He along with the fishermen on a small boat sailed towards Sentinelese Island and reached the neighbouring area of the Island on 16th November 2018, after which he himself went to the Island on a canoe. He also tried to reach the Sentinelese Island on 14th November 2018.
According to a news agency, after reaching the Sentinelese Island, Allen Chau was surrounded and killed by Sentinelese tribers who supposedly throw arrows from their bows on the unwanted and undesirable visitor. As soon as Allen Chau set his foot on the Island, he was attacked by a shower of arrows.
“He was attacked by arrows but he continued walking. The fishermen saw the tribals tying a rope around his neck and dragging his body…They were scared and fled but returned next morning to find his body on the seashore.”
His body was recovered by the fishermen on their return on the same day he went to the Island. Meanwhile, the fishermen who took him to the Sentinelese Island have been arrested by the officials but the body has not been retrieved yet.
